Asset Retirement Obligations Asset Retirement Obligations	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015
Asset Retirement Obligations	ASSET RETIREMENT OBLIGATIONS (Entergy Corporation, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy New Orleans, Entergy Texas, and System Energy) See Note 9 to the financial statements in the Form 10-K for a discussion of asset retirement obligations. Following are updates to that discussion. In the second quarter 2015, Entergy Wholesale Commodities recorded a revision to its estimated decommissioning cost liability for a nuclear site as a result of a revised decommissioning cost study. The revised estimate resulted in a $77.6 million reduction in the decommissioning cost liability, along with a corresponding reduction in the related asset retirement cost asset. In the third quarter 2015, Entergy Wholesale Commodities recorded a revision to the contract asset recorded as a result of the agreement between Entergy subsidiaries and NYPA entered when Entergy subsidiaries purchased FitzPatrick from NYPA in 2000. NYPA retained the decommissioning trusts and the decommissioning liabilities. NYPA has the right to require the Entergy subsidiaries to assume the decommissioning liability provided that it assigns the decommissioning trust, up to a specified level, to Entergy. If the decommissioning liabilities are retained by NYPA, the Entergy subsidiaries will perform the decommissioning of the plant at a price equal to the lesser of a pre-specified level or the amount in the decommissioning trusts. The contract asset represents an estimate of the present value of the difference between the stipulated contract amount for decommissioning the plants less the decommissioning costs estimated in independent decommissioning cost studies. As there is now a change in expectation regarding the timing of decommissioning cash flows, the result was a write down of the contract asset from $335 million to $131 million, for a charge of $204 million. See Note 9 to the financial statements in the Form 10-K for further discussion of the contract asset. See Note 11 to the financial statements herein for further discussion of the planned shutdown of the FitzPatrick plant. In the third quarter 2015, Entergy Wholesale Commodities recorded a revision to its estimated decommissioning cost liability for Pilgrim as a result of a revised decommissioning cost study. The revised estimate resulted in a $134 million increase in the decommissioning cost liability, along with a corresponding increase in the related asset retirement cost asset. The increase in the estimated decommissioning cost liability resulted from the change in expectation regarding the timing of decommissioning cash flows due to the decision to cease operations of the plant no later than June 2019. The asset retirement cost asset was included in the Pilgrim carrying value that was written down to fair value in the third quarter 2015. See Note 11 to the financial statements herein for discussion of the impairment of the value of the Pilgrim plant. After shutdown, Pilgrim will transition to decommissioning. The Pilgrim nuclear decommissioning trust had a balance of approximately $870 million as of September 30, 2015, representing excess financial assurance of approximately $240 million for license termination activities above NRC-required assurance levels. Filings with the NRC for planned shutdown activities will determine whether any other financial assurance may be required and will specifically address funding for spent fuel management, which will be required until the federal government takes possession of the fuel and removes it from the site, per its current obligation. No additional funding is anticipated at this time. As discussed in Note 9 to the financial statements in the Form 10-K, Entergy expects that amounts available in Vermont Yankee’s decommissioning trust fund, including expected earnings, together with the credit facilities entered into in January 2015 that are expected to be repaid with recoveries from DOE litigation related to spent fuel storage, will be sufficient to cover Vermont Yankee’s expected costs of decommissioning, spent fuel management costs and site restoration. In June 2015 the NRC issued an exemption from its regulations to allow Vermont Yankee to use its decommissioning trust fund to pay for approximately $225 million of estimated future spent fuel management costs that will not be paid for using funds from the credit facilities. In August 2015, Vermont and two Vermont utilities filed a petition in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit challenging the NRC’s issuance of that exemption. If the appeal were to result in a final decision denying Vermont Yankee the exemption allowing the use of its decommissioning trust fund to pay for these spent fuel management costs, Vermont Yankee would have to satisfy the NRC that it had a plan to obtain additional funds to enable it to pay for these costs until the federal government takes possession of the fuel and removes it from the site.
Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Asset Retirement Obligations	ASSET RETIREMENT OBLIGATIONS (Entergy Corporation, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy New Orleans, Entergy Texas, and System Energy) See Note 9 to the financial statements in the Form 10-K for a discussion of asset retirement obligations. Following are updates to that discussion. In the second quarter 2015, Entergy Wholesale Commodities recorded a revision to its estimated decommissioning cost liability for a nuclear site as a result of a revised decommissioning cost study. The revised estimate resulted in a $77.6 million reduction in the decommissioning cost liability, along with a corresponding reduction in the related asset retirement cost asset. In the third quarter 2015, Entergy Wholesale Commodities recorded a revision to the contract asset recorded as a result of the agreement between Entergy subsidiaries and NYPA entered when Entergy subsidiaries purchased FitzPatrick from NYPA in 2000. NYPA retained the decommissioning trusts and the decommissioning liabilities. NYPA has the right to require the Entergy subsidiaries to assume the decommissioning liability provided that it assigns the decommissioning trust, up to a specified level, to Entergy. If the decommissioning liabilities are retained by NYPA, the Entergy subsidiaries will perform the decommissioning of the plant at a price equal to the lesser of a pre-specified level or the amount in the decommissioning trusts. The contract asset represents an estimate of the present value of the difference between the stipulated contract amount for decommissioning the plants less the decommissioning costs estimated in independent decommissioning cost studies. As there is now a change in expectation regarding the timing of decommissioning cash flows, the result was a write down of the contract asset from $335 million to $131 million, for a charge of $204 million. See Note 9 to the financial statements in the Form 10-K for further discussion of the contract asset. See Note 11 to the financial statements herein for further discussion of the planned shutdown of the FitzPatrick plant. In the third quarter 2015, Entergy Wholesale Commodities recorded a revision to its estimated decommissioning cost liability for Pilgrim as a result of a revised decommissioning cost study. The revised estimate resulted in a $134 million increase in the decommissioning cost liability, along with a corresponding increase in the related asset retirement cost asset. The increase in the estimated decommissioning cost liability resulted from the change in expectation regarding the timing of decommissioning cash flows due to the decision to cease operations of the plant no later than June 2019. The asset retirement cost asset was included in the Pilgrim carrying value that was written down to fair value in the third quarter 2015. See Note 11 to the financial statements herein for discussion of the impairment of the value of the Pilgrim plant. After shutdown, Pilgrim will transition to decommissioning. The Pilgrim nuclear decommissioning trust had a balance of approximately $870 million as of September 30, 2015, representing excess financial assurance of approximately $240 million for license termination activities above NRC-required assurance levels. Filings with the NRC for planned shutdown activities will determine whether any other financial assurance may be required and will specifically address funding for spent fuel management, which will be required until the federal government takes possession of the fuel and removes it from the site, per its current obligation. No additional funding is anticipated at this time. As discussed in Note 9 to the financial statements in the Form 10-K, Entergy expects that amounts available in Vermont Yankee’s decommissioning trust fund, including expected earnings, together with the credit facilities entered into in January 2015 that are expected to be repaid with recoveries from DOE litigation related to spent fuel storage, will be sufficient to cover Vermont Yankee’s expected costs of decommissioning, spent fuel management costs and site restoration. In June 2015 the NRC issued an exemption from its regulations to allow Vermont Yankee to use its decommissioning trust fund to pay for approximately $225 million of estimated future spent fuel management costs that will not be paid for using funds from the credit facilities. In August 2015, Vermont and two Vermont utilities filed a petition in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit challenging the NRC’s issuance of that exemption. If the appeal were to result in a final decision denying Vermont Yankee the exemption allowing the use of its decommissioning trust fund to pay for these spent fuel management costs, Vermont Yankee would have to satisfy the NRC that it had a plan to obtain additional funds to enable it to pay for these costs until the federal government takes possession of the fuel and removes it from the site.
Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Asset Retirement Obligations	ASSET RETIREMENT OBLIGATIONS (Entergy Corporation, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy New Orleans, Entergy Texas, and System Energy) See Note 9 to the financial statements in the Form 10-K for a discussion of asset retirement obligations. Following are updates to that discussion. In the second quarter 2015, Entergy Wholesale Commodities recorded a revision to its estimated decommissioning cost liability for a nuclear site as a result of a revised decommissioning cost study. The revised estimate resulted in a $77.6 million reduction in the decommissioning cost liability, along with a corresponding reduction in the related asset retirement cost asset. In the third quarter 2015, Entergy Wholesale Commodities recorded a revision to the contract asset recorded as a result of the agreement between Entergy subsidiaries and NYPA entered when Entergy subsidiaries purchased FitzPatrick from NYPA in 2000. NYPA retained the decommissioning trusts and the decommissioning liabilities. NYPA has the right to require the Entergy subsidiaries to assume the decommissioning liability provided that it assigns the decommissioning trust, up to a specified level, to Entergy. If the decommissioning liabilities are retained by NYPA, the Entergy subsidiaries will perform the decommissioning of the plant at a price equal to the lesser of a pre-specified level or the amount in the decommissioning trusts. The contract asset represents an estimate of the present value of the difference between the stipulated contract amount for decommissioning the plants less the decommissioning costs estimated in independent decommissioning cost studies. As there is now a change in expectation regarding the timing of decommissioning cash flows, the result was a write down of the contract asset from $335 million to $131 million, for a charge of $204 million. See Note 9 to the financial statements in the Form 10-K for further discussion of the contract asset. See Note 11 to the financial statements herein for further discussion of the planned shutdown of the FitzPatrick plant. In the third quarter 2015, Entergy Wholesale Commodities recorded a revision to its estimated decommissioning cost liability for Pilgrim as a result of a revised decommissioning cost study. The revised estimate resulted in a $134 million increase in the decommissioning cost liability, along with a corresponding increase in the related asset retirement cost asset. The increase in the estimated decommissioning cost liability resulted from the change in expectation regarding the timing of decommissioning cash flows due to the decision to cease operations of the plant no later than June 2019. The asset retirement cost asset was included in the Pilgrim carrying value that was written down to fair value in the third quarter 2015. See Note 11 to the financial statements herein for discussion of the impairment of the value of the Pilgrim plant. After shutdown, Pilgrim will transition to decommissioning. The Pilgrim nuclear decommissioning trust had a balance of approximately $870 million as of September 30, 2015, representing excess financial assurance of approximately $240 million for license termination activities above NRC-required assurance levels. Filings with the NRC for planned shutdown activities will determine whether any other financial assurance may be required and will specifically address funding for spent fuel management, which will be required until the federal government takes possession of the fuel and removes it from the site, per its current obligation. No additional funding is anticipated at this time. As discussed in Note 9 to the financial statements in the Form 10-K, Entergy expects that amounts available in Vermont Yankee’s decommissioning trust fund, including expected earnings, together with the credit facilities entered into in January 2015 that are expected to be repaid with recoveries from DOE litigation related to spent fuel storage, will be sufficient to cover Vermont Yankee’s expected costs of decommissioning, spent fuel management costs and site restoration. In June 2015 the NRC issued an exemption from its regulations to allow Vermont Yankee to use its decommissioning trust fund to pay for approximately $225 million of estimated future spent fuel management costs that will not be paid for using funds from the credit facilities. In August 2015, Vermont and two Vermont utilities filed a petition in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit challenging the NRC’s issuance of that exemption. If the appeal were to result in a final decision denying Vermont Yankee the exemption allowing the use of its decommissioning trust fund to pay for these spent fuel management costs, Vermont Yankee would have to satisfy the NRC that it had a plan to obtain additional funds to enable it to pay for these costs until the federal government takes possession of the fuel and removes it from the site.
Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Asset Retirement Obligations	ASSET RETIREMENT OBLIGATIONS (Entergy Corporation, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy New Orleans, Entergy Texas, and System Energy) See Note 9 to the financial statements in the Form 10-K for a discussion of asset retirement obligations. Following are updates to that discussion. In the second quarter 2015, Entergy Wholesale Commodities recorded a revision to its estimated decommissioning cost liability for a nuclear site as a result of a revised decommissioning cost study. The revised estimate resulted in a $77.6 million reduction in the decommissioning cost liability, along with a corresponding reduction in the related asset retirement cost asset. In the third quarter 2015, Entergy Wholesale Commodities recorded a revision to the contract asset recorded as a result of the agreement between Entergy subsidiaries and NYPA entered when Entergy subsidiaries purchased FitzPatrick from NYPA in 2000. NYPA retained the decommissioning trusts and the decommissioning liabilities. NYPA has the right to require the Entergy subsidiaries to assume the decommissioning liability provided that it assigns the decommissioning trust, up to a specified level, to Entergy. If the decommissioning liabilities are retained by NYPA, the Entergy subsidiaries will perform the decommissioning of the plant at a price equal to the lesser of a pre-specified level or the amount in the decommissioning trusts. The contract asset represents an estimate of the present value of the difference between the stipulated contract amount for decommissioning the plants less the decommissioning costs estimated in independent decommissioning cost studies. As there is now a change in expectation regarding the timing of decommissioning cash flows, the result was a write down of the contract asset from $335 million to $131 million, for a charge of $204 million. See Note 9 to the financial statements in the Form 10-K for further discussion of the contract asset. See Note 11 to the financial statements herein for further discussion of the planned shutdown of the FitzPatrick plant. In the third quarter 2015, Entergy Wholesale Commodities recorded a revision to its estimated decommissioning cost liability for Pilgrim as a result of a revised decommissioning cost study. The revised estimate resulted in a $134 million increase in the decommissioning cost liability, along with a corresponding increase in the related asset retirement cost asset. The increase in the estimated decommissioning cost liability resulted from the change in expectation regarding the timing of decommissioning cash flows due to the decision to cease operations of the plant no later than June 2019. The asset retirement cost asset was included in the Pilgrim carrying value that was written down to fair value in the third quarter 2015. See Note 11 to the financial statements herein for discussion of the impairment of the value of the Pilgrim plant. After shutdown, Pilgrim will transition to decommissioning. The Pilgrim nuclear decommissioning trust had a balance of approximately $870 million as of September 30, 2015, representing excess financial assurance of approximately $240 million for license termination activities above NRC-required assurance levels. Filings with the NRC for planned shutdown activities will determine whether any other financial assurance may be required and will specifically address funding for spent fuel management, which will be required until the federal government takes possession of the fuel and removes it from the site, per its current obligation. No additional funding is anticipated at this time. As discussed in Note 9 to the financial statements in the Form 10-K, Entergy expects that amounts available in Vermont Yankee’s decommissioning trust fund, including expected earnings, together with the credit facilities entered into in January 2015 that are expected to be repaid with recoveries from DOE litigation related to spent fuel storage, will be sufficient to cover Vermont Yankee’s expected costs of decommissioning, spent fuel management costs and site restoration. In June 2015 the NRC issued an exemption from its regulations to allow Vermont Yankee to use its decommissioning trust fund to pay for approximately $225 million of estimated future spent fuel management costs that will not be paid for using funds from the credit facilities. In August 2015, Vermont and two Vermont utilities filed a petition in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit challenging the NRC’s issuance of that exemption. If the appeal were to result in a final decision denying Vermont Yankee the exemption allowing the use of its decommissioning trust fund to pay for these spent fuel management costs, Vermont Yankee would have to satisfy the NRC that it had a plan to obtain additional funds to enable it to pay for these costs until the federal government takes possession of the fuel and removes it from the site.
Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Asset Retirement Obligations	ASSET RETIREMENT OBLIGATIONS (Entergy Corporation, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy New Orleans, Entergy Texas, and System Energy) See Note 9 to the financial statements in the Form 10-K for a discussion of asset retirement obligations. Following are updates to that discussion. In the second quarter 2015, Entergy Wholesale Commodities recorded a revision to its estimated decommissioning cost liability for a nuclear site as a result of a revised decommissioning cost study. The revised estimate resulted in a $77.6 million reduction in the decommissioning cost liability, along with a corresponding reduction in the related asset retirement cost asset. In the third quarter 2015, Entergy Wholesale Commodities recorded a revision to the contract asset recorded as a result of the agreement between Entergy subsidiaries and NYPA entered when Entergy subsidiaries purchased FitzPatrick from NYPA in 2000. NYPA retained the decommissioning trusts and the decommissioning liabilities. NYPA has the right to require the Entergy subsidiaries to assume the decommissioning liability provided that it assigns the decommissioning trust, up to a specified level, to Entergy. If the decommissioning liabilities are retained by NYPA, the Entergy subsidiaries will perform the decommissioning of the plant at a price equal to the lesser of a pre-specified level or the amount in the decommissioning trusts. The contract asset represents an estimate of the present value of the difference between the stipulated contract amount for decommissioning the plants less the decommissioning costs estimated in independent decommissioning cost studies. As there is now a change in expectation regarding the timing of decommissioning cash flows, the result was a write down of the contract asset from $335 million to $131 million, for a charge of $204 million. See Note 9 to the financial statements in the Form 10-K for further discussion of the contract asset. See Note 11 to the financial statements herein for further discussion of the planned shutdown of the FitzPatrick plant. In the third quarter 2015, Entergy Wholesale Commodities recorded a revision to its estimated decommissioning cost liability for Pilgrim as a result of a revised decommissioning cost study. The revised estimate resulted in a $134 million increase in the decommissioning cost liability, along with a corresponding increase in the related asset retirement cost asset. The increase in the estimated decommissioning cost liability resulted from the change in expectation regarding the timing of decommissioning cash flows due to the decision to cease operations of the plant no later than June 2019. The asset retirement cost asset was included in the Pilgrim carrying value that was written down to fair value in the third quarter 2015. See Note 11 to the financial statements herein for discussion of the impairment of the value of the Pilgrim plant. After shutdown, Pilgrim will transition to decommissioning. The Pilgrim nuclear decommissioning trust had a balance of approximately $870 million as of September 30, 2015, representing excess financial assurance of approximately $240 million for license termination activities above NRC-required assurance levels. Filings with the NRC for planned shutdown activities will determine whether any other financial assurance may be required and will specifically address funding for spent fuel management, which will be required until the federal government takes possession of the fuel and removes it from the site, per its current obligation. No additional funding is anticipated at this time. As discussed in Note 9 to the financial statements in the Form 10-K, Entergy expects that amounts available in Vermont Yankee’s decommissioning trust fund, including expected earnings, together with the credit facilities entered into in January 2015 that are expected to be repaid with recoveries from DOE litigation related to spent fuel storage, will be sufficient to cover Vermont Yankee’s expected costs of decommissioning, spent fuel management costs and site restoration. In June 2015 the NRC issued an exemption from its regulations to allow Vermont Yankee to use its decommissioning trust fund to pay for approximately $225 million of estimated future spent fuel management costs that will not be paid for using funds from the credit facilities. In August 2015, Vermont and two Vermont utilities filed a petition in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit challenging the NRC’s issuance of that exemption. If the appeal were to result in a final decision denying Vermont Yankee the exemption allowing the use of its decommissioning trust fund to pay for these spent fuel management costs, Vermont Yankee would have to satisfy the NRC that it had a plan to obtain additional funds to enable it to pay for these costs until the federal government takes possession of the fuel and removes it from the site.
Entergy Texas [Member]
Asset Retirement Obligations	ASSET RETIREMENT OBLIGATIONS (Entergy Corporation, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy New Orleans, Entergy Texas, and System Energy) See Note 9 to the financial statements in the Form 10-K for a discussion of asset retirement obligations. Following are updates to that discussion. In the second quarter 2015, Entergy Wholesale Commodities recorded a revision to its estimated decommissioning cost liability for a nuclear site as a result of a revised decommissioning cost study. The revised estimate resulted in a $77.6 million reduction in the decommissioning cost liability, along with a corresponding reduction in the related asset retirement cost asset. In the third quarter 2015, Entergy Wholesale Commodities recorded a revision to the contract asset recorded as a result of the agreement between Entergy subsidiaries and NYPA entered when Entergy subsidiaries purchased FitzPatrick from NYPA in 2000. NYPA retained the decommissioning trusts and the decommissioning liabilities. NYPA has the right to require the Entergy subsidiaries to assume the decommissioning liability provided that it assigns the decommissioning trust, up to a specified level, to Entergy. If the decommissioning liabilities are retained by NYPA, the Entergy subsidiaries will perform the decommissioning of the plant at a price equal to the lesser of a pre-specified level or the amount in the decommissioning trusts. The contract asset represents an estimate of the present value of the difference between the stipulated contract amount for decommissioning the plants less the decommissioning costs estimated in independent decommissioning cost studies. As there is now a change in expectation regarding the timing of decommissioning cash flows, the result was a write down of the contract asset from $335 million to $131 million, for a charge of $204 million. See Note 9 to the financial statements in the Form 10-K for further discussion of the contract asset. See Note 11 to the financial statements herein for further discussion of the planned shutdown of the FitzPatrick plant. In the third quarter 2015, Entergy Wholesale Commodities recorded a revision to its estimated decommissioning cost liability for Pilgrim as a result of a revised decommissioning cost study. The revised estimate resulted in a $134 million increase in the decommissioning cost liability, along with a corresponding increase in the related asset retirement cost asset. The increase in the estimated decommissioning cost liability resulted from the change in expectation regarding the timing of decommissioning cash flows due to the decision to cease operations of the plant no later than June 2019. The asset retirement cost asset was included in the Pilgrim carrying value that was written down to fair value in the third quarter 2015. See Note 11 to the financial statements herein for discussion of the impairment of the value of the Pilgrim plant. After shutdown, Pilgrim will transition to decommissioning. The Pilgrim nuclear decommissioning trust had a balance of approximately $870 million as of September 30, 2015, representing excess financial assurance of approximately $240 million for license termination activities above NRC-required assurance levels. Filings with the NRC for planned shutdown activities will determine whether any other financial assurance may be required and will specifically address funding for spent fuel management, which will be required until the federal government takes possession of the fuel and removes it from the site, per its current obligation. No additional funding is anticipated at this time. As discussed in Note 9 to the financial statements in the Form 10-K, Entergy expects that amounts available in Vermont Yankee’s decommissioning trust fund, including expected earnings, together with the credit facilities entered into in January 2015 that are expected to be repaid with recoveries from DOE litigation related to spent fuel storage, will be sufficient to cover Vermont Yankee’s expected costs of decommissioning, spent fuel management costs and site restoration. In June 2015 the NRC issued an exemption from its regulations to allow Vermont Yankee to use its decommissioning trust fund to pay for approximately $225 million of estimated future spent fuel management costs that will not be paid for using funds from the credit facilities. In August 2015, Vermont and two Vermont utilities filed a petition in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit challenging the NRC’s issuance of that exemption. If the appeal were to result in a final decision denying Vermont Yankee the exemption allowing the use of its decommissioning trust fund to pay for these spent fuel management costs, Vermont Yankee would have to satisfy the NRC that it had a plan to obtain additional funds to enable it to pay for these costs until the federal government takes possession of the fuel and removes it from the site.
System Energy [Member]
Asset Retirement Obligations	ASSET RETIREMENT OBLIGATIONS (Entergy Corporation, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy New Orleans, Entergy Texas, and System Energy) See Note 9 to the financial statements in the Form 10-K for a discussion of asset retirement obligations. Following are updates to that discussion. In the second quarter 2015, Entergy Wholesale Commodities recorded a revision to its estimated decommissioning cost liability for a nuclear site as a result of a revised decommissioning cost study. The revised estimate resulted in a $77.6 million reduction in the decommissioning cost liability, along with a corresponding reduction in the related asset retirement cost asset. In the third quarter 2015, Entergy Wholesale Commodities recorded a revision to the contract asset recorded as a result of the agreement between Entergy subsidiaries and NYPA entered when Entergy subsidiaries purchased FitzPatrick from NYPA in 2000. NYPA retained the decommissioning trusts and the decommissioning liabilities. NYPA has the right to require the Entergy subsidiaries to assume the decommissioning liability provided that it assigns the decommissioning trust, up to a specified level, to Entergy. If the decommissioning liabilities are retained by NYPA, the Entergy subsidiaries will perform the decommissioning of the plant at a price equal to the lesser of a pre-specified level or the amount in the decommissioning trusts. The contract asset represents an estimate of the present value of the difference between the stipulated contract amount for decommissioning the plants less the decommissioning costs estimated in independent decommissioning cost studies. As there is now a change in expectation regarding the timing of decommissioning cash flows, the result was a write down of the contract asset from $335 million to $131 million, for a charge of $204 million. See Note 9 to the financial statements in the Form 10-K for further discussion of the contract asset. See Note 11 to the financial statements herein for further discussion of the planned shutdown of the FitzPatrick plant. In the third quarter 2015, Entergy Wholesale Commodities recorded a revision to its estimated decommissioning cost liability for Pilgrim as a result of a revised decommissioning cost study. The revised estimate resulted in a $134 million increase in the decommissioning cost liability, along with a corresponding increase in the related asset retirement cost asset. The increase in the estimated decommissioning cost liability resulted from the change in expectation regarding the timing of decommissioning cash flows due to the decision to cease operations of the plant no later than June 2019. The asset retirement cost asset was included in the Pilgrim carrying value that was written down to fair value in the third quarter 2015. See Note 11 to the financial statements herein for discussion of the impairment of the value of the Pilgrim plant. After shutdown, Pilgrim will transition to decommissioning. The Pilgrim nuclear decommissioning trust had a balance of approximately $870 million as of September 30, 2015, representing excess financial assurance of approximately $240 million for license termination activities above NRC-required assurance levels. Filings with the NRC for planned shutdown activities will determine whether any other financial assurance may be required and will specifically address funding for spent fuel management, which will be required until the federal government takes possession of the fuel and removes it from the site, per its current obligation. No additional funding is anticipated at this time. As discussed in Note 9 to the financial statements in the Form 10-K, Entergy expects that amounts available in Vermont Yankee’s decommissioning trust fund, including expected earnings, together with the credit facilities entered into in January 2015 that are expected to be repaid with recoveries from DOE litigation related to spent fuel storage, will be sufficient to cover Vermont Yankee’s expected costs of decommissioning, spent fuel management costs and site restoration. In June 2015 the NRC issued an exemption from its regulations to allow Vermont Yankee to use its decommissioning trust fund to pay for approximately $225 million of estimated future spent fuel management costs that will not be paid for using funds from the credit facilities. In August 2015, Vermont and two Vermont utilities filed a petition in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit challenging the NRC’s issuance of that exemption. If the appeal were to result in a final decision denying Vermont Yankee the exemption allowing the use of its decommissioning trust fund to pay for these spent fuel management costs, Vermont Yankee would have to satisfy the NRC that it had a plan to obtain additional funds to enable it to pay for these costs until the federal government takes possession of the fuel and removes it from the site.